The RE/MAX Unique Realty franchise opened in 1995, five years before Miami Lakes was incorporated as a town.
Twenty-five years later, broker and owner Eddie Rodriguez’s RE/MAX Unique Realty franchise has had sales of almost $1 billion, he said.
His team sells homes, commercial properties and boutique style condos in the Brickell area of downtown Miami, according to the firm.
To mark the company’s success, Miami Lakes Mayor Manny Cid proclaimed Oct. 22 as RE/MAX Unique Realty Day.
“It’s the longest standing international real estate office in Miami Lakes,” said Cid. Rodriguez appreciated the recognition.
“It’s nice to see people in a higher position care about a local business,” Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez began the business with just four employees in a small office in town.
By 1997, they moved operations to the Lake Katharine Shopping Center at 6167 Miami Lakes Drive and have over 20 agents and staff as well as a second franchise office in the Morningside neighborhood in Miami.
Rodriguez calls his company a family affair.
His mother Virginia Rodriguez has worked alongside him since the beginning.
“I remember when I first started, my son wasn’t even born and now he’s part of the business,” Rodriguez said about the young man, Eric Rodriguez, who joined the team several years ago.
“Behind every great family business, there is a great family,” Eric Rodriguez said.
Eddie Rodriguez said home buyers look in Miami Lakes because they are in search of a small-town feeling.
“People buy in Miami Lakes because they grew up in the area or very close by,” he said. “Miami Lakes has a reputation for being safe, with quiet neighborhoods, great elementary schools.”
Rodriguez said technological changes over the past quarter century have reshaped how he does business.
“There was no social media, no electronic signature,” Eddie Rodriguez said. “People still asked for your fax number to send documents in lieu of your email address. …None of this existed back then. [It] blows my mind.”
Realtor Lynn Matos has worked with Rodriguez since the franchise opened.
“We have been selling South Florida for over 25 years in markets that demanded the best agents and the best leadership,” Matos said. “RE/MAX Unique Realty is more than just a company.
“It’s a family of professionals who have assisted literally thousands of clients achieve their real estate goals and dreams,” Matos said.